


Seventeen

by Janeite_of_the_slums



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aerith Week 2021, Blushing, Cheese, F/M, Fluff, Sentimental, Why Did I Write This?, Young Love, oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29319672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janeite_of_the_slums/pseuds/Janeite_of_the_slums
Summary: On February the seventh, Aerith Gainsborough turned seventeen.She was seventeen, but she didn’t feel any older. Seventeen, yet still a child. Seventeen… and she’d never been kissed.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Seventeen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Aerith’s birthday, 2/7/2021.

On February the seventh, Aerith Gainsborough turned seventeen.

It was a Thursday and she woke up a little later than usual, which didn’t matter much because she didn’t really have anywhere to be. The artificial sun lamps that signaled the passage of time in the Midgar slums were beaming at full force outside her bedroom window, and the weather under the plate was mild, as always.

Today was just like any other day, but since it was her birthday, Aerith decided to doll herself up a bit. She dug through her closet and finally chose a flared golden-yellow sundress with a white daisy print and strappy tan sandals. Then she brushed out her waist-length, nut-brown hair and styled it into her usual long plait, tying a large, floppy pink ribbon on top that didn’t quite go with her dress, but that she’d never dream of going without. At last, with a satisfied glance at her reflection, she hurried downstairs.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart!” Elmyra Gainsborough was already in the kitchen, hard at work on breakfast.

“Thanks, Mom!” Aerith crossed the room and gave her mother a peck on the cheek. “Something sure smells good!” She peered around Elmyra’s shoulder to look at the stove. “Oh. Blueberry pancakes?”

“Of course. Aren’t they your favorite?”

“They were last year,” said Aerith, and instantly regretted it. “I’m not tired of them yet, though!”

“So picky.” Elmyra shook her head with a wry smile, lightly tweaking the tail end of Aerith’s braid. “What’s your favorite this year, then?”

“Sorry, Mom… I don’t really know. I haven’t figured it out yet. So I’ll just enjoy this wonderful birthday breakfast right now and think about it later.” She flashed Elmyra a sheepish grin.

“Well, I haven’t made your cake yet, so you’d better say something now if you want to change your mind. Last week you said you wanted a lemon cake with white frosting.”

“Oh, lemon sounds good,” Aerith said distractedly, sliding into a chair and taking a swig of orange juice. “Yellow like my dress. It feels like a yellow sort of day, doesn’t it?”

Elmyra brought the pancakes, butter, and syrup to the table, along with some fresh fruit and homemade yogurt, and sat down across from her daughter. They joined hands and gave thanks to the Planet before beginning their meal. Aerith was curiously silent.

“What’s on your mind, baby?” Elmyra asked her, cutting a mango into chunks. “You look lovely, by the way. Is Zack coming over later?”

“I don’t know.” Aerith’s cheeks warmed. “I haven’t seen him in a while. They sent him on another mission last month. Somewhere way up north… Icicle area, I think. But he was supposed to be back last week.”

Elmyra’s brows drew together. “Something to do with AVALANCHE again? They’ve been on the news a lot lately.”

“I don’t know,” Aerith said again, swallowing a bite of pancake. “He doesn’t tell me anything. It’s all top secret.”

“I wish they could give him some work closer to home.”

“So do I, but that’s not happening. He hasn’t even been home to see his parents since he joined SOLDIER. Besides, it’s his dream job. Or it used to be... I think.”

“Such a pointless sacrifice,” Elmyra mused in between sips of coffee. “No chance to settle down. To have a normal life. And in exchange for what? Strength? Power? I’ll never understand it.”

Aerith smiled sadly. “I think they’re all just little boys deep down inside, living out their dreams of becoming heroes,” she said, twirling her spoon around in her cup of yogurt. “Zack is no different. Except… Zack really _is_ a hero. He just doesn’t know it.”

“If you say so, honey.”

After breakfast, Aerith helped to clear away the dishes, then made a beeline for the front door.

“Off to the church again?” Elmyra asked over her shoulder.

“Yep. I need to fertilize the lilies. They’re starting to look pale.”

“Really? I hope you don’t get your dress dirty.”

“You know I won’t.” Aerith skipped out the door, poking her head back in to add, “I’ll be back before dinnertime!”

The abandoned church in the Sector Five slums was Aerith’s special place, her own private sanctuary. Once inside, she began to crawl through her garden of yellow lilies, pruning away dead leaves, thinning out the plants where they threatened to choke each other, and waiting, waiting, just like she did every day. Growing things was a waiting game, after all, and this day was just like any other.

She was seventeen, but she didn’t feel any older. Seventeen, yet still a child. Seventeen… and she’d never been kissed.

With a wistful sigh, she looked up at the large, man-sized hole in the ceiling, where shafts of white light now shimmered through and seemed to impart new life to her flowers. She could still remember that warm April afternoon, almost a year ago, when Zack Fair had suddenly come crashing through the roof of the church in that very spot, fallen a distance of about fifty feet, and landed smack on the floor right next to her flower bed, scaring the living daylights out of her. There was no way she could have saved him, but for some reason he’d survived the fall unscathed, murmuring something about wanting to help a friend. All she’d had to do was wake him up.

_“Hellooo?”_

He’d thought he was in heaven. Called her an angel. Immediately asked her on a date. And before long, Aerith had been the one who was falling.

She hadn’t known what to think of him, at first. She hadn’t even been sure if she could take him seriously. Zack was a guy to whom flirting came as naturally as breathing. But at the same time he’d seemed so genuine; there’d been an irresistible sort of artlessness about him. His cheerful, contagious energy had awakened something in her.

He’d taken her shopping and had bought her not only the pink satin hair ribbon she now wore every day, but a bottle of fragrant lily perfume he’d actually mixed himself. Then she’d invited him to come with her to Evergreen Park, an old playground that had always been one of her favorite haunts. It was then that she’d found out he was in SOLDIER.

Shinra’s biologically engineered, Mako-enhanced breed of superhuman warriors had always frightened Aerith. She’d run into their kind before. But to her, Zack was just a normal guy. He loved to fight, and he also loved to show off his skills any chance he got, but aside from those quirks, he was refreshingly simple and down-to-earth.

Not to mention that he had the most beautiful pair of sky-blue eyes Aerith had ever seen.

She gradually came to learn that in spite of his apparent ease with women, Zack was surprisingly innocent; in fact, he was a perfect gentleman. In the ten months or so since they’d first met, he had never made a single advance on her, and she was grateful for that. She always felt completely safe with him. Yet something deep within her, tucked away in the most secret corner of her heart, cried out for him to romance her—not just with words or gifts, but in a physical, tangible way.

She thought she understood why he had never crossed that invisible boundary between them. He belonged to Shinra, and as long as he remained at their beck and call, he would never be able to give her the kind of life he thought she required. They’d have to be apart for weeks, even months on end. There was no resigning from SOLDIER. It was no at-will employment contract. There was no early retirement, no pension plan. He was bound to them for life.

Aerith wanted to tell him she didn’t care. That she’d be glad to wait for him as long as he needed her to, just so she could have him with her, even if it was only for a little while. She was already used to waiting for him. And anyway, what was a week, a month, a year, or even longer than that, compared to the exquisite delights that could be had in just one hour of each other’s company, not only as friends, but… as lovers? She flushed hot all over at the very thought.

What would it be like to kiss him? What would his lips feel like, pressed to hers? Aerith found she couldn’t dwell on this thought for very long. It made her feel uncomfortable… but in a very nice sort of way. It caused a burning ache in her chest and made her whole body feel weak.

She finished her pruning and knelt amid the living mass of green and yellow plants, careful not to crush any of the nodding flowers as she began to sprinkle granules of organic fertilizer around their roots, which she watered in promptly with a steel can. After a couple of hours, her stomach began to growl. She checked her watch and saw that it was the time the kids at the Leaf House normally ate lunch. There’d still been no sign of Zack, and Mom had said she’d be out running errands, so she might as well seek out some other company. She gathered a bunch of lilies, arranged them in a wicker basket, and stepped outside.

The Leaf House was a volunteer-run orphanage in the Sector Five slums, just a short walk from Aerith’s home but a bit farther from the church. After a long stroll, she approached the entrance to the two-story brick building, raised a hand, and knocked. Half a minute later, a handsome, dark-haired young man opened the door.

“Hey, Aerith,” said Biggs with a smile. He looked down at the basket of flowers under her arm. “Are these for us?”

“They absolutely are! Could I join you guys for lunch?” She paused, deliberating, then added, “Today’s my birthday.”

“Oh, it is? Well, happy birthday!” Biggs swung the doors wide open. “Come on in!”

The orphanage had a cramped but colorfully decorated mess hall where the children took their meals on long white melamine tables. Aerith had eaten with them many times before. When she entered, several of them looked up. A few began to crowd around her.

“Hi, Aerith!”

“Did you bring us more flowers, Aerith?”

“Ooh, that’s a pretty dress!”

“Aerith, guess what? I lost a tooth!”

Then Biggs leaned over and whispered something to the nearest group of kids. All at once there were excited cries of “Happy Birthday!” and “How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen,” said Aerith, smiling.

“Wow, you’re really old!”

“Let’s all sing to her!” said one of the house mothers, and before she knew it, Aerith had her first birthday serenade of the day.

After they all finished their lunch of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese—Aerith only ate a little—the children were shuttled back to their classes, and she wandered back outside, where a few little boys were playing amid old tires and large plastic pipes, swinging cardboard swords. They were strikingly accurate, though far smaller and lighter, replicas of the enormous Buster Sword Zack now carried. Watching them, Aerith felt a sudden wave of sadness.

Zack had not been very happy on the day he’d inherited that sword. It was the only time she had ever seen him cry. She remembered it well, because that was the day she’d knelt behind him as he sat, weeping, on the floor of the church, and wrapped her arms around him.

The church.

Sudden panic seized her. What if he was there right now? She hoped he hadn’t already stopped by, missed her, and left.

With a hasty goodbye to the kids outside, Aerith hurried back to the church, tripping a little in her sandals as she walked. At last, out of breath and clutching her side, she pushed her way through the heavy doors to the sanctuary, fully expecting to find it empty.

But when she entered the building, there _was_ someone there. A tall, slim man in a black suit, his sleek black hair pulled up in a ponytail, was standing at the edge of the flower bed as if he’d been waiting for her.

“Happy birthday, Aerith.” Tseng raised one corner of his mouth.

Aerith frowned at him. “Thanks… but what are you doing here?”

“Looking out for you.” His eyes were expressionless. “As I always have.”

“Well, I can look out for myself, you know,” she retorted, fiercely annoyed at him simply for not being the person she’d just hustled herself all the way back here to see. “So why don’t you go away and leave me alone?”

“Why?” Tseng arched a thin black brow. “Expecting someone else?”

She blushed. “And what if I am?”

Tseng let out a chuckle. Aerith wanted to slap him.

“If it’s Zack you were hoping to meet today, you’re wasting your time,” he went on coolly. “He has not returned from his assignment.”

“I know,” said Aerith, trying to hide the instant pang of heartache.

He smirked. “Well, then there’s no reason for me to leave you alone, is there?”

“Fine,” Aerith huffed. “Stick around if you must. But do me a favor and stay outside, all right? I’m not in the mood for being stared at today.”

Tseng leaned forward in a slight bow. “As you wish.”

Once the doors had closed behind him, Aerith groaned in frustration and stamped one sandaled foot on the aging wood floor. She was so sick of being watched and guarded, as if she were some flimsy little princess who had to be locked up in a tower. What she really wanted, more than anything, was freedom. But even freedom seemed terrifying to her. As much as she hated her sheltered, comfortable life, it was all she’d ever known. She wasn’t sure she could venture out into the big wide world all by herself, under that vast, never-ending sky.

But with Zack by her side, Aerith knew she wouldn’t be afraid.

The rest of the afternoon crawled by, and he didn’t come. Tseng hadn’t been lying. Shortly after five o’clock, she finally decided to brace herself for the long walk home. A few more minutes and Elmyra would worry.

The black-haired Turk was pacing back and forth just outside the church, holding his phone to his ear. Aerith walked past him with her chin lifted, determinedly ignoring him. After a while she thought she could sense him following her, but she refused to look back. Instead, she began to walk faster. And faster.

And then it happened. Her right foot turned in her sandal, and she cried out as wrenching pain tore through her ankle, sending her tumbling to the ground.

“Ouch,” she moaned, lying there in shock.

In no time at all, Tseng’s long dark shadow was creeping over her. 

“Need a hand?”

Aerith glared up at him. “No. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure about that? Can you walk on it?”

She pushed herself up with her arms, grimacing at the sight of the new dark stain on the front of her yellow dress, and tried to stand, then yelped in pain once more as her ankle gave way. Tseng stood there quietly, watching her. 

“I can arrange for you to be transported back to your home, of course,” he said, “and ensure you receive proper medical care, but cooperation on your part _will_ be expected.”

“No, thanks,” gasped Aerith, wobbling as she stood on one foot. “I’d rather crawl all the way back to my house on my hands and knees.”

Tseng looked sad. “You know I can’t allow you to do that.”

“Why not?” She gave him a scathing look. “This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn’t been stalking me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“You’re seventeen years old, Aerith. Don’t act like a child.”

“This is the worst birthday _ever_ ,” she moaned.

“I’m sorry.” Tseng picked up his phone and began dialing. She heard Reno’s voice answer.

“What can I do for you, boss?”

“Send a helicopter to lower Sector Five,” Tseng replied. “I’m at the church. My business here is finished.”

Still standing on one leg, Aerith squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears began to fall. She couldn’t believe what an awful mess she’d gotten herself into. The Turks finally had her right where they wanted her. Would they take her to the Shinra building now, or would they let her say goodbye to Elmyra first? One thing felt certain—that she would be imprisoned there for the rest of her days, just like it had been while her real mother still lived. The tears wouldn’t stop coming.

Then—

“Aerith!” shouted a voice—a voice she knew well. Her heart leaped.

“Zack?”

It was him. It was really him.

She swayed where she stood, trembling with emotion, as he ran up to her and reached out a gloved hand. His impossibly blue eyes were wide with concern. “What happened?”

“I fell.” Aerith latched onto his arm, fighting the urge to burst out crying. “Twisted my ankle.”

“And I’ve already made arrangements for her safe return home,” said Tseng.

“I don’t want to go with them.” Aerith’s voice broke. “Don’t let them take me, Zack.”

“ _Take_ you? Hold on.” Zack looked at the Turk through narrowed eyes. “What’s going on here?”

Tseng calmly returned his gaze. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. But after a moment, he smiled mysteriously.

“I’m going to leave this situation in your hands,” he told Zack at last, and Aerith could hear the deafening sound of the approaching helicopter. “You are hereby tasked with conveying Miss Gainsborough to her home.” He smirked. “And don’t forget to wish her a happy birthday.”

The Shinra helicopter zoomed into view, hovering over the three. Several slum dwellers had abandoned their daily business and were standing around as well, watching the spectacle in their midst. A rope ladder dropped, and Tseng took hold of it and began to gracefully climb upward. Within moments, the Turks had vanished.

“Go on,” said Zack, shooing the onlookers. “There’s nothing more to see here.” He turned back to Aerith and opened his mouth as if to ask a question, but instead he stared at her for a moment, his cheeks glowing. “Wow, you look nice,” he blurted. Then his face fell. “Today’s your birthday?”

“Yeah.” She was blushing all over.

“Oh, geez. I’m so sorry, Aerith. I just flew in to the base an hour ago. I completely forgot.”

“But you still came to see me,” she said with a weak smile, wiping her tears with her fingers. “That’s what counts.”

“I guess.” Zack rubbed the back of his neck. “So… uh… you’re seventeen?”

“That’s right.” Aerith tried to keep a smile on her face, but her ankle had begun to throb. She let out a little moan and gripped his wrist.

“Aerith!” he exclaimed. “Does it hurt?”

“Yeah,” she admitted, wincing. “A lot, actually.”

“What a lousy thing to happen on your birthday.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Guess we’d better get you home, then, huh?” Zack studied her for a moment, a gleam of inspiration in his eyes. Then, before she realized what was happening, he bent down, spread one hand on her back, hooked the other behind her legs, and swung her up into his arms. She could actually feel his breath coming out in soft puffs as he began to walk forward, carrying her bridal-style through the streets of the Sector Five slums.

“Who needs a helicopter when you’ve got the strong arms of a SOLDIER at your disposal?” he joked. “It’s the only way to travel.”

Aerith was speechless. Their faces were so close that his voice rumbled through her when he spoke, and the spicy smell of his aftershave was making her all kinds of giddy. She couldn’t look at him. She clasped her hands behind his neck, feeling the light brush of his shaggy hair against the back of her fingers, suddenly itching to slide them upward and dig deep into those thick black locks. Her cheeks were on fire and the heat was rapidly spreading. What was wrong with her?

“My, what a ride,” she teased him, to cover her embarrassment. “Feeling like a hero yet?”

His laugh tickled across her bangs. “You bet!”

“Because you are,” Aerith went on, tucking her head into the space between his metal shoulder pauldron and his chin. “You know that, don’t you?”

“Mmm. Maybe one day I’ll actually save someone for real.”

“Oh, you.” She rolled her eyes.

As the two of them continued on their dramatic passage through the neighborhood, a few people trickled out to watch.

“What happened? Is Aerith okay?”

“Just twisted my ankle,” she said.

“Oh, no! Looks like you’re in good hands, though!” Then, “What a gentleman!” to Zack. “You better take good care of her!”

“Aw, how romantic!”

“It’s her birthday!” Zack shouted over his shoulder as they went by.

“Happy birthday, Aerith!”

“Happy birthday!”

They walked by the Leaf House, where several children stopped in the middle of their play and gawked. Aerith waved to them. Then Zack was carefully guiding her through the narrow walkway through an old wooden shack that led to the Gainsborough home.

He carried her over the bridge and around the sparkling pond, and by the time they finally approached the house, Aerith was wishing she could stay in his arms forever. She had never known anything could feel so thrilling, yet so comforting at the same time.

“And the Chocobo stops here,” Zack said at last.

Aerith laughed. “You’re not as fast as a Chocobo. But the conversation was _much_ better.”

He set her down gently on the doorstep, feet first, and immediately she missed the solid warmth of his chest. She leaned against his bare arm to balance herself as he took a moment’s rest, shifting his weight from side to side. His skin was hot and clammy. Was he breathing a little faster than normal, or was she imagining it? She didn’t think she was that heavy.

Zack opened the door for her, and she stuck her head inside. “Mom?”

“Aerith!” cried Elmyra, dashing out from the kitchen to meet her. “I was starting to get worried!” Then she looked up at her daughter’s escort, and her expression hardened. 

“Zack.”

“Ma’am.” He gave a polite nod. “She’s fine, but she’s got a hurt ankle.”

“What? How—”

“It was these stupid sandals,” Aerith said quickly. “I was walking back from the church when my foot turned and I went right down. Zack just happened to be there at the right time.” She purposely avoided mentioning Tseng, and she hoped desperately that Zack wouldn’t bring him up, either.

“Put her in a chair,” Elmyra ordered.

She stepped aside as Zack hoisted Aerith up again and carried her into the house. Not for the first time, Aerith’s imagination raced headlong into overdrive. Would he carry her like this over the threshold of a new home, one day? Or… to their very own bed? Her cheeks began to burn.

Zack eased her into a chair at the round table, and Elmyra moved in to prop up Aerith’s right foot on another. She removed the scuffed sandal and began to manipulate the swollen ankle. Aerith tried not to gasp in pain.

“Definitely a sprain.” Elmyra’s tone was grave. “I’m so sorry, baby. And on your birthday, too! Let me get you some ice.”

Zack leaned his sword against the wall, then pulled up another chair and sat down next to her. “What rotten luck,” he said as Elmyra rummaged in the freezer. “How’d you ever get mixed up with the Turks, though?”

Elmyra became noticeably still.

Aerith shot Zack a frantic look. “Please,” she urged, shushing him. “Mom will worry.”

“Okay.” He lowered his voice. “But I was worried, too, you know. You seemed really upset. Did Tseng do something to you? ’Cause if he did, I’ll gladly kick his ass.”

“It’s nothing. Really.” Aerith cringed inwardly; she hated to lie to him. “Tseng would never do anything to hurt me. He’s an old family friend, and I bumped into him when I was leaving the church. And… I’m, uh, really scared of heights.”

Zack sighed and shook his head. “Scared of heights, scared of the sky… what am I gonna do with you, Aerith?”

“Just keep her safe.” Elmyra was walking toward them with a small bag of ice. As she knelt and applied it to Aerith’s ankle, she raised her head to give Zack a direct look. “And make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

Aerith rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t _his_ fault, Mom. Zack always keeps me safe… when he can.”

“Of course he does, dear. When he can.”

A lump rose into Aerith’s throat. Had she really said that? “What smells so good?” she asked, eager to change the subject. She couldn’t meet Zack’s eyes.

“Baked salmon and mashed potatoes,” Elmyra replied. “It’s probably not your favorite, but—”

“Are you kidding? I love salmon! And I’m _starving_ ,” she moaned. “Oh, I just wanna sit here and eat myself stupid. How about you, Zack? Did you eat yet?”

“Oh, it’s no big deal—”

“You’d _better_ stay,” Elmyra said to him, forcing a smile. “It’s her birthday. And thank you for bringing her home, by the way. I just worry about her so much.”

Aerith groaned. “You both need to just chill. I’m a big girl, you know. I’m so spoiled and coddled, it’s pathetic.”

“It’s only because I love you,” said Elmyra.

Aerith stole a quick glance at Zack. He was looking down, a faint smile on his lips. Did he feel that way, too?

Conversation was a little awkward during the meal. There were too many subjects to avoid. Elmyra’s tension was palpable. Aerith could tell Zack was nervous, too. When Elmyra tried to ask him about his most recent job, he danced gingerly around it, talking about the brutal weather up north, how he’d jealously watched the tourists skiing and snowboarding at the Icicle Inn resort, and how he’d once had to hike through miles of snow after their helicopter crashed on a mission with Tseng and a young Shinra trooper who’d laughed at the name of Zack’s hometown, Gongaga.

Aerith giggled when he said it. “But it _does_ sound kind of funny.”

Zack pouted. “It’s no worse than Nibelheim.”

“I’m sure it’s lovely. Tell me all about it sometime.”

Aerith opened Elmyra’s gift after dinner. It was a set of three silver bangle bracelets, each engraved with a different pattern—one had lilies, another roses, and the third looked like cherry blossoms.

“Oh, Mom, these are gorgeous! I love them! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, honey.” Elmyra glanced briefly at Zack. “Any other presents to open?”

Zack looked flustered. “Uh…”

“Mom, he just got back from the field this afternoon,” Aerith jumped in. “He hasn’t had time to shop.”

“Oh, of course. Understandable.”

“But I _do_ have something for you, Aerith,” Zack said, shifting in his chair to reach into his pocket. “I didn’t wrap it or anything, but…” He pulled out an oddly bulging envelope and handed it to her. “Here.”

Aerith opened the paper pouch and shook it over her palm. Several small brown orbs tumbled out. They looked like baby onions.

“What are they?”

“Lily bulbs,” Zack said. “A lady was giving them away at the inn. She said they’re white lilies.”

Aerith’s lips parted in a silent “oh”.

“They usually grow up north, but I’m sure they’ll grow for you, too. I bet you could grow anything.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Zack.” Her eyes met his, and her smile was brilliant. “Thank you.”

He turned pink. “No problem. Sorry I didn’t buy you anything.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to have you here.”

Their gazes lingered until Elmyra cleared her throat. “Shall I bring out the cake now?”

It was beautiful, frosted all in white with a dusting of large-grained sugar crystals glittering on its surface like a field of snow. Yellow flames danced atop seventeen tall pink candles, and Zack insisted on leading Elmyra in singing Happy Birthday. He had a nice voice, but fell a bit flat on the highest note. Aerith blushed and giggled.

“Now, make a wish!” said Elmyra.

“Gosh. Just one? But I have so many,” sighed Aerith.

“Then pick the most exciting one!” Zack pumped his fist. “That’s what I’d do.”

Aerith looked directly at him, her color rising, then closed her eyes. “Okay.” She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to bursting, and blew out all the candles. Every single one.

“What did you wish for?” Zack asked her immediately.

Aerith laughed. “You know I can’t tell you, silly! Then it won’t come true!”

“Oh, right.” He paused. “Can I have a hint?”

“No!”

She _did_ have lots of wishes. Tiny ones and huge ones… and they were all about him. It had been so hard to pick just one.

_I wish you could come with me when I sell my flowers._

_I wish we could go on a real date, like dinner and a movie._

_I wish we could go on a long walk together and hold hands._

_I wish we could sit up all night talking. I wish you would tell me more about your life. And I wish I were brave enough to tell you all my secrets._

_I wish you didn’t have to do things that make you cry._

_I wish you could understand that you really are a hero, even if you’re only mine._

_I wish we could run away together. Somewhere far away where Shinra can never, ever find us. Where we can be free._

_I wish I could tell you that I love you, but I think I might love you a little too much and it frightens me._

_I wish..._

Zack helped her up from the chair and out to the front porch, away from Elmyra’s wary eyes. The steel sky above them had dimmed with the late hour, the closest thing they had to dusk in the slums. She stood facing him, clutching his elbow for balance.

“So… seventeen, huh?” He grinned at her. “Did you get everything you wanted for your birthday?”

“Um… almost,” she replied.

“Almost? Is there anything else _I_ can get you?”

Aerith’s heart began to drum madly inside her chest. She couldn’t speak. Her gaze drifted downward from Zack’s curious blue eyes, moving lower, until she found herself staring at his lips—and a rush of blazing, scarlet heat instantly crept all the way up her neck and flooded into her cheeks. She quickly looked away.

“Uh…”

Zack cleared his throat. When Aerith dared to look back up at him, she saw that he was blushing, too. And smiling.

“Happy birthday, Aerith.”

“Thanks, Zack.”

 _Maybe he’s too shy_ , she thought. Maybe it would happen next time. Maybe he’d finally take that bold step forward and move their relationship to a whole new level—

Then, all at once, Zack closed his hand around hers and brought it up to his mouth, and Aerith felt warm, soft lips pressed firmly to her knuckles. The touch sent a wave of hot shivers all the way down to her toes. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

“I’ll come and see you again soon,” he whispered, gazing deeply into her eyes. “I promise.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she said.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Based on certain quotes from the game, I believe that Zack and Aerith never kissed or openly confessed their mutual feelings. But I intend to rectify that in my full-length WIP, Strife and Prejudice. So if you need more Zerith fluff, head on over!


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